MSP responses to the concerns raised below.
Shirley-Ann Somerville
“Your constituent has raised issues around children and young people, including those who seek support for their distress or concern about their gender identity and girls who self-harm. The Scottish Government has made very clear its commitment to promoting and supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people. We are taking forward fundamental improvements to the support systems available to young people. This includes the establishment of a Task Force chaired by Dame Denise Coia and the Youth Commission on Mental Health.
Sexual crime and the sexual harassment of young girls is clearly unacceptable: the safety of children and young people is of crucial importance. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling sexual harassment, misogyny and gender based violence including in schools through a range of actions. In particular, the Equally Safe Delivery Plan includes 118 actions including a number specifically targeted at schools and young people: https://beta.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/publication/2017/11/equally-safe-delivery-plan-scotlands-strategy-prevent-violence-against-women/documents/00528064-pdf/00528064-pdf/govscot:document/.
Your constituent refers to a media report of the numbers of young people attending a gender identity clinic at the Tavistock and Portman in London. In Scotland, people aged under 18 who are seeking support receive assistance through the Young Person’s Gender Service at Sandyford, Glasgow (at https://www.sandyford.org/sandyford-sexual-health-services/what-are-our-services/gender-identity-service/). The Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment which forms part of our consultation on the 2004 Act noted existing evidence regarding the increase in the numbers of young people being referred to, or seeking help from Sandyford (at https://www.gov.scot/publications/review-gender-recognition-act-2004/pages/25/).
Respondents to our consultation have also raised concerns about this increase, and some have raised specific concerns around girls. We will consider further if there is action we should take, such as carrying out research.”
Health
Another concern is the huge spike in self harming in teenage girls.
The number of girls admitted to hospital for self harming has nearly doubled.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45082767
One fifth of 14yr old girls have self harmed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45329030
Both the self harming and identifying out of being a girl have rapidly increased in recent years. The other statistic in the news about girls is the epidemic level of sexual harassment and sexual crimes they are victims of. I believe urgent attention is needed to investigate if there any links between these three issues. Are girls and young women who have been brought up in the most sexualised and pornified culture of our lifetime attempting to find ways to escape the pressures of it? I have previously voiced my concerns about the need for education services to tackle the issue of sexual harassment within our schools.
Urgent action is needed.
Scottish Women 